Dance in the Dark
by 5dshadesofgay
Summary: Baby loves to dance in the dark, 'cause when he's lookin' he falls apart. Baby loves to dance, loves to dance in the dark. - Roadtrip AU. Kiryu, Yusei, and Jack take a roadtrip together before going away to college. Yusei struggles with his feelings while Kiryu struggles with his mental illness. Meanwhile Jack fucks everything up. A story of love, heartbreak, and insanity.
1. 1: Affliction

**1: ****Affliction**

The sun beat down on the hood of the old Honda Accord. It was a hot, dry day and Kiryu wiped the sweat from his forehead as he lit up a cigarette. He was leaning against the car and watching the door of a small house as if waiting for someone. In fact he was waiting for someone, and that someone grunted as he pushed open the door with his back, dragging along the biggest suitcase Kiryu had ever seen.

"We are not fucking taking that," he spat as the suitcase struggled to squeeze through the doorway. The person stopped pulling and frowned, his eyes following the little specks that fell as Kiryu shook out his lit cig.

"Whatever you're smoking better be legal," he warned before turning back to his problem. "And I need this stuff. Who knows how long we'll be gone, and I'll need clean clothes, blankets, emergency suppl-"

"That's not going to fit in my fucking car," Kiryu grunted, taking another puff.

"We'll make it fit," his companion assured him. Kiryu shook his head and sighed with annoyance. Shaking the butt off his cig, he gave him a hard pressed look.

"Yusei, don't forget we're picking up Jack along the way."

"Yeah, I know."

Kiryu tossed his used-up cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. Unfortunately, Yusei saw and gesticulated dramatically at his foot.

"Don't just leave that there!"

"We haven't even gotten in the car yet and you're already annoying me."

Yusei pouted. He was sure that was Kiryu's disorder talking but it still stung a little. He bent down and picked up the litter himself, returning to his house to dispose of it. When he got back outside, Kiryu was shoving the giant suitcase into his trunk.

"Barely fits," he huffed, slamming the trunk shut. "Better hope that snotty rich kid doesn't pack his entire house."

Yusei waved goodbye to his worried-looking mother as Kiryu got into the front seat. He started the engine and Yusei took that as his cue to get in or get left behind, knowing how impatient Kiryu could be.

"If we make good time, we'll be at Jack's in three days," Kiryu told him as he pulled out of the driveway. "Think you can survive till then?" He laughed, and Yusei chuckled back nervously.

"I think the better question is if _you _can survive till then."

"Don't worry, I've got plenty of medication."

"But will you actually take it?"

"Yeah, I'll take it, don't worry."

_Worrying about you is pretty much all I do, _Yusei sighed mentally. Memories of high school flashed by. He met Kiryu when they were freshmen. Yusei skipped two grades in elementary school so he was two years younger, but they had been best friends since that first day. Yusei was new, having moved to that town only that summer. During gym he stood by himself away from the other kids, feeling out of place because of his age as well as being a new student. Kiryu saw how out of place he seemed, so he walked over and struck up a conversation. Since then, Yusei had followed Kiryu around like a puppy.

"If you start feeling sleepy or groggy just pull over and I'll drive," Yusei offered.

"I'll be fineeee," Kiryu assured him. Yusei wasn't so sure. He'd been in the car with Kiryu so many times and he had never been able to make an entire drive by himself. Eventually he'd get too distracted to drive safely and someone else would have to take over. Usually him.

Yusei rolled down his window as they sped past empty fields. Kiryu turned the radio on and blasted it as loud as his speakers would go, singing along loudly and obnoxiously. Yusei almost never sang but he hummed along, occasionally glancing at Kiryu to make sure he was focused.

It was warm and cozy in the car and Yusei found himself dozing off. He was so relaxed...

Until the car came to an abrupt stop, and Yusei yelped as he was thrown forward, his seatbelt locking to keep him from flying through the windshield.

"Kiryu!" Yusei gasped, looking around wildly.

"Shit," Kiryu said. "Shit shit _shiiiiiiit._"

"Kiryu, you can't just stop in the middle of a highway!" Yusei snapped as cars began honking. He quickly pressed the button for the hazard lights and they came on. "Why are you just- Kiryu?"

Kiryu was staring straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were turning white. His pupils were as round as hubcaps.

"Shit, are you hallucinating?" Yusei asked, unbuckling his seat belt.

"PUT YOUR SEAT BELT BACK ON!" Kiryu screamed, and Yusei jumped a little. He obeyed, knowing it was better to give in to Kiryu's delusions than to go against them. There was almost no reasoning with Kiryu when he got this way.

"What's happening? Is there something on the road?" Yusei asked, trying to figure out how to handle this.

"Oh my god, we're going to die," Kiryu replied in a high voice.

"Kiryu, let me drive now, okay?"

"No, don't move!" Kiryu hissed, and there was fear in his voice.

"You have to let me drive now. Please." Yusei was almost begging. If Kiryu decided they could flee whatever it was and started driving, he could get them killed easily. "Please let me drive, Kiryu. Please. _Please._"

After a little more hesitation, Kiryu finally gave in.

"Okay," he told Yusei, "but don't get out of the car. We'll have to switch seats by climbing over each other."

"Alright, I can do that," Yusei agreed. He unbuckled and crawled into the back. Kiryu unbuckled and, with a deathly horrified glance out the window, he dove into the passenger seat. Yusei climbed into the driver side and buckled up. As he adjusted his seat and mirrors, Kiryu buckled up and put his head between his knees. Yusei heard him let out a small sob.

"It's okay, Kiryu." He wants to pat Kiryu on the back but knew better. "You took your medication today, right?"

"Yes," Kiryu replied, his voice shaky.

"Okay, well, just try to keep calm, okay?" Yusei reassured him. "Don't look, if it helps." Yusei turned the flashers off and put the car into drive. Kiryu let out a shrieking sob of terror and began rocking back and forth in his seat. Yusei cranked up the radio. Usually music helped.

It was a half hour before Kiryu uncurled himself. His eyes were red and there were dark circles under them. He leaned against the window of the car, looking extremely tired.

"How are you feeling?" Yusei asked, glancing at him.

"Terrible," Kiryu muttered, rubbing his face. "I thought we were gonna die. I thought we were _really_ going to die."

"Do you want me to stop somewhere? Want something to eat?"

"Yeah…"

So Yusei took the next exit and they stopped at a rest stop for sandwiches and coffee. Kiryu was pretty quiet.

"So, do you wanna talk about it?" Yusei asked, and Kiryu shook his head.

"Okay, you don't have to talk about it."

Kiryu remained silent, but Yusei noticed his eyes darting around, as if he could see something moving that no one else could. Which was most likely the case.

"Yusei, can I see your hand?" Kiryu suddenly asked.

"Uh… sure," Yusei humored him. He held out his hand and Kiryu took it, inspecting every inch.

"You'd tell me if you were an android, right?" he pleaded.

"Of course I would," Yusei said. "You're my best friend. I'd never keep anything from you."

Kiryu looked extremely relieved and let go of Yusei's hand. Yusei smiled at him.

"Come on, we still have a long drive before we get to the first hotel." He stood up and Kiryu followed.

"Thanks for taking care of me. Again." Kiryu draped himself over Yusei's shoulders and nuzzled him.

"Hey, it's what I'm here for." Yusei smiled and stroked his hair. Kiryu could be overly affectionate sometimes- not that he minded.

"Don't tell Jack," Kiryu told him as he pulled back. "He'll make fun of me."

"Jack won't make fun of you. He's concerned about you," Yusei replied. But Kiryu frowned and Yusei knew there was no point reasoning with him.

"Okay."

Kiryu smiled and skipped to the car.

"Come on~ We're gonna be late!"

"Late for what? The hotel?" Yusei laughed as he opened the driver side.

"I don't know. Maybe."

This bothered Yusei. Kiryu was slipping into a state of distortion, which usually meant he hadn't taken his medication.

"Before we get back on the road, where's your medication bottles? I want to see them."

"Why?" Kiryu snorted.

"To make sure you packed them."

"I did pack them."

"I want to see them."

"You don't believe me?" Kiryu sounded offended, but Yusei wasn't letting him get away with this.

"I reassure you of things all the time, whether you believe me or not. So this time, humor _me_."

Kiryu couldn't really argue with that logic. With a pout that temporarily made Yusei forget why he was doing this, Kiryu rolled his eyes and rummaged through a small backpack laying at his feet. He held up several bottles to show Yusei that yes indeed he had medications, but quickly shoved them back in his bag before Yusei could read whose or what they were.

"Kiryu." Yusei leaned over and grabbed Kiryu's bag.

"Hey!" Kiryu protested, but Yusei fought him and managed to wrestle the bag from his grip. He pawed through it, and what he saw made him frown.

"These haven't even been opened!"

"Of course not! Did you think I would bring half empty bottles on such a long trip?" Kiryu snapped, trying to snatch the bag back. Yusei held it out of reach.

"Don't lie to me. Have you been taking your medication?" Yusei's face was as stern as his voice. Kiryu looked like a trapped animal trying to escape from a predator.

"Yusei, you don't understand! Those pills-!"

_"So you _haven't_ been taking them, have you?!_" Yusei accused. "Kiryu, you _know_ how important this is! You agreed to this! _You signed a contract!_"

"I hate it!" Kiryu shouted, still desperately trying to grab his belongings. "I hate it **I hate it **_**I hate it!**_"

"Would you rather go to jail?" Yusei asked coldly, and Kiryu stopped his temper tantrum. "Because that's where you'll be if you stop taking these. That was the agreement."

"What? You gonna tell on me?!" Kiryu snorted.

"No. Of course not," Yusei sighed. "But if anything happens and you end up getting arrested again, they'll know you didn't take your meds and they don't give second chances. This _is_ your second chance."

"I'll risk it."

Those were not the words Yusei had wanted to hear.

"Kiryu, _please_!"

Kiryu shook his head. It was like trying to get a two year old to eat his vegetables, with much worse potential consequences.

"Did you like the little scare you had earlier? Because that's going to keep happening and it'll get worse and worse and you know it. Was that fun for you? Because I'm pretty sure you spent a majority of this ride curled up in a ball crying over something that wasn't actually happening!"

"It _was_ happening!" Kiryu whined. "It just wasn't happening to _you_!"

"That's not a valid argument and you know it," Yusei said. "Kiryu, please. Just take your goddamn meds and we can move on with life."

Kiryu rocked back and forth, almost like a drug addict going through withdrawal, and then he finally gave in.

"…Fine…"

Yusei gave a sigh of relief and took out the appropriate pills. Very reluctantly, Kiryu swallowed every pill Yusei handed him and even put up with Yusei checking his mouth to make sure he really was swallowing them.

"There. Was that so hard?" Yusei asked him kindly.

"I don't like how they make me feel," Kiryu complained, resting his head against the window.

"It's better than the alternative. Come on, we'll get going now."

Yusei started up the car and they drove on. Kiryu sulked silently as Yusei hummed to the radio.

"Are you mad at me?" Yusei asked after a while.

"No," Kiryu sighed. "I just wish you didn't act like Rudger."

"I'm just looking out for you, just like he is," Yusei told him.

"Sometimes I think Rudger wishes he kept the receipt when he adopted me."

"Don't say that! Rudger loves you!"

Kiryu didn't answer back. Yusei had a feeling that the meds were starting to kick in. Kiryu did tend to become depressed when he took his meds after not taking them for a while.

"I've only ever caused problems for him. I'm a shitty son."

"No, you're not."

Yusei reached over and patted Kiryu's shoulder.

"You're my best friend, Kiryu, okay? I'll always be here for you. I always have been and I always will be."

That made Kiryu smile.

"Thanks, Yusei. Thanks for not leaving me like everyone else."

"I could never leave you." Yusei's heart thumped and he did his best not to blush. Yes, he could never leave Kiryu. Even though he tried. Even though Kiryu pushed him past breaking point and destroyed him without even realizing it. No, he could never leave Kiryu. It wasn't his fault he was burdened with such an affliction.

The rest of the ride was cheery and upbeat. Kiryu was allowed to drive again after Yusei deemed him safe. Which was a relief because the drive took the entire day, and they still had two more days' worth of driving to get through. Yusei wasn't sure he could handle doing all that driving by himself.

"Not this hotel, but the one tomorrow has a pool," Yusei told Kiryu as they pulled up.

"Sweeeeeeet! We're going swimming!"

"Yes, yes. I know you."

Kiryu was animated and cheerful, such a difference from when his medication first kicked in. But Yusei was used to Kiryu's mood changes. He was used to all of Kiryu's craziness.

The two friends dropped their belongings in their room before they headed out to dinner. However, when they opened the door, there was only one bed. Neither of them commented on this fact; they tried to save money any way they could. As it was, when they picked up Jack someone would be sleeping on the floor. Yusei guessed it would probably be him, since he was the youngest and a non-family member. Though technically Kiryu and Jack weren't related by blood. Rudger, who adopted Kiryu, was Jack's father's brother.

"C'mon Yusei, I'm hungry!" Kiryu complained.

"Right. What do you wanna eat?"

"Hmm. Burgers?"

"I'm down with that."

Tired of driving, the two teens walked to get their food.

"So that last episode, huh?" Kiryu mused to Yusei, folding his arms behind his back. "He was such an asshole, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, I can't believe he did that." Yusei shook his head with disbelief. He was pretty relaxed until Kiryu said, "You _would_ find that funny, Crow."

Yusei made a face. Now he knew for sure Kiryu hadn't been taking his medicine.

"So Crow's here, huh?" Yusei asked coolly. Kiryu nodded and they continued walking in silence. Crow was probably saying nasty things about him to Kiryu, like usual. Yusei didn't like him at all.

"Nah, I'm not gonna do that!" Kiryu laughed, which set Yusei on edge. Crow was telling him to do something bad. Why else would Kiryu say that?

"This is why you need to take your medicine. So that this doesn't happen."

"Shut up," Kiryu yelled. It didn't phase Yusei. He knew who was really behind the outburst. He could see it in Kiryu's eyes. Especially when they immediately softened and Kiryu swiped at the air.

"Bird brain," Kiryu muttered. "That little shit is laughing and flying away."

"At least he's leaving," Yusei told him.

"I don't know how you put with me," Kiryu sighed. "I can't even put up with me. You must be an idiot."

"I guess I am."

Luckily, Kiryu was calm for the rest of the day. Yusei made him take his night meds and he didn't complain. It wasn't until they started getting ready to sleep that Kiryu started acting up.

"Crow, stop it!" Kiryu suddenly shouted, swiping at the air with his pillow.

"What's he doing now?" Yusei, asked fluffing his own pillow.

"He keeps telling me my food had gross things in it!" Kiryu whined.

"Just ignore him," Yusei told him, getting into bed. Kiryu grumpily got in next to him and pulled his pillow over his face.

"Stoooop!" Kiryu whined, hitting the air again. Just as Yusei closed his eyes, Kiryu jumped out of bed. Yusei sat up in alarm and saw Kiryu rush into the bathroom before he heard a horrible retching sound.

"Fuck," Yusei groaned. This wasn't the first time that goddamn Crow made Kiryu purge himself.

"Kiryu…" Yusei sighed, getting out of bed. He entered the bathroom and held back Kiryu's hair.

"Sorry," Kiryu coughed in a hoarse voice.

"It's not your fault."

"Stupid Crow," Kiryu groaned, holding his stomach. "Shit. My stomach hurts."

"Do you want pepto?" Yusei asked kindly.

"No. He'll just make me throw that up too. He says he's going to make me puke out my own stomach."

"That's impossible to do."

"He said he'll make it happen anyway."

Yusei grimaced as Kiryu ducked down to vomit again.

"This is why you need to take your medication. It won't even kick in for a few days since I'm guessing you haven't been taking it for a while. If it even gets digested at this rate. You probably already threw it up."

Kiryu glared up at him.

"You're not making this any easier."

"Sorry."

Yusei stayed by Kiryu's side all night, falling asleep on the floor. Somehow he slept through the rest of Kiryu's retching, and awoke to find Kiryu sleeping with his head on his arms, which were folded on the toilet seat.

Yusei's back was stiff and achey from the floor. He got up and stretched, which woke Kiryu, who gave a large groan as he peeled his face off the toilet seat.

"Hey. Morning. How you feeling?" Yusei asked.

"Terrible," Kiryu croaked, rubbing his face. "I think I threw up my internal organs."

"Don't be silly. Well, is Crow leaving you alone now?"

"Yeah, he flew off."

"Good. Eat something and then take your meds. We've got a long drive."

After they ate, they packed up and started the drive west. Yusei took the first shift so Kiryu had time to let his meds settle. He was quiet and Yusei started rethinking this whole trip idea. Could they really survive this? What if Kiryu had a really bad episode and ran off, or hurt someone, or himself, and they couldn't find a hospital? What if the hospital didn't treat him right? A million things could go wrong. What had he been thinking?

"Hey, Yusei," Kiryu suddenly said.

"Hm?"

"I'm really glad we're going on this trip."

Yusei's heart seemed to leave him.

"Going on a trip like this makes me feel… strangely normal."

He grinned as he popped a pretzel bite into his mouth. Yusei felt so light that he practically floated away.

"You _are_ normal, Kiryu. You just have a little… problem."

Kiryu laughed, and Yusei stole a glance to see a genuine smile on his face. That smile was worth all the trouble they had gone through to get to this point.

Kiryu wasn't his illness. He was a person and he deserved the same treatment as everyone else.

"I'm glad we are too. I just hope you feel the same way when Jack gets here."

"Ffff. Jack will probably be the one regretting it."

"Aww, don't say that," Yusei told him.

"No, I mean like, you know him. You've seen how he lives. He's a little proper prince. Yet he agreed to come with us on this low budget road trip. He must really like us."

Yusei pursed his lips. Yes, that _was_ strange. Jack refused to go camping with them last summer and here he was ready to sleep in sketchy motels and eat fast food for several weeks.

"Well, he _did_ just break up with his girlfriend. Maybe he's looking for some tail," Kiryu snorted. Yusei stomped on the brakes and Kiryu jolted forward.

"Sorry. I saw something in the road. Must have just been a leaf."

Kiryu straightened himself out as Yusei got the car under control.

"Phew, then I wasn't seeing things. Maybe the medicine is kicking in finally."

That comment made Yusei frown even deeper.

Well, if Jack was coming with them to take advantage of Kiryu he'd have another thing coming! Wait, there was no reason to suspect Jack wanted anything out of the ordinary from his cousin. Well, they _were_ cousins, after all. Yusei was just being overly paranoid. He got a little jealous when it came to Kiryu's attention.

"Don't worry about it," he said absentmindedly.

"Worry about what?" Kiryu asked.

"Hmm? Nothing."

Eventually Yusei had to pull over to let Kiryu drive. He knew it was probably a bad idea, but he let himself take a nap. When he woke up the sky was starting to darken and he didn't recognize where they were.

"Kiryu? Where are we?" Yusei yawned.

"I have no idea!" Kiryu said with a laugh.

"What?!" Yusei was awake now.

"Pull over!"

Kiryu pouted and gave a sad puppy dog look.

"But I'm having fun!"

It was at this point Yusei noticed that they were flying past cars. He dared to look at the speedometer and then regreted all his life choices. The fact that Kiryu was endangering their lives caused his stomach to churn nastily.

"Kiryu, pull over. I'm gonna throw up."

Kiryu sighed and slowed down the car, putting his turn signal on and pulling over to the shoulder. Yusei jumped out of the car and ducked into the bushes. Kiryu snorted impatiently. He wanted to get going again. It was an impulse. Go fast! As fast you can! It wasn't so much a voice in his head as it was an itch begging to be scratched. He started getting restless, tapping the steering wheel and twitching his legs, so he turned the car off to stop himself from driving off without Yusei (because as tempted as he was, he would never leave Yusei behind). It seemed like forever until Yusei returned, looking pale and sweaty.

"You took forever!" Kiryu complained as Yusei opened the door.

"Do not… Do that again…" Yusei replied in a weak voice, slumping in his seat.

"What's wrong with you?!" Kiryu huffed.

"You know I have a panic problem."

"Oh yeah, the throw up thing you do when you get upset or-"

"I don't want to talk about it!" Yusei snapped in a high voice. "Just… I just want to get to a hotel. Alive. Safe. Do not go over the speed limit or so help me, Kiryu Kyosuke, I will-!"

"Alright, alright, keep your panties on," Kiryu grumbled. He started the car- or at least tried to. But it grumbled and died and Kiryu scowled.

"What's the hold up?" Yusei asked weakly.

"Well I think… I think we're out of gas?" Kiryu laughed nervously.

"Oh dear God, save us," Yusei moaned, letting his head hit the window in defeat.

"What should we do?" Kiryu asked.

"What _can_ we do?" Yusei sighed. "We'll have to call Jack."


	2. 2: Love Like Winter

**2: ****Love Like Winter**

"You two are idiots."

It was ten at night and Jack had just gotten out of his father's black-tinted SUV holding a red gallon gas can.

"Forget the gas," Kiryu moaned in a desperate voice. "_Fooddddd. Waterrrrr. Atmosphereeeee._"

"Yeah, yeah, I got you guys food." Jack held out a plastic bag that Kiryu snatched from his hand. Yusei grabbed a sandwich before Kiryu could inhale the entire bag.

After five minutes of wolfing down every last edible crumb, Kiryu threw his arms around his cousin and clung to him.

"Jackyyyyy, you're the best~" he sang, and it was just a_ little_ too close for Yusei's comfort.

"We should get going if we want to put gas in the car before the gas station closes," Yusei said coolly, picking up the emergency gallon of gas. "Kiryu, can you pop the fuel tank door?"

"Gas stations don't close, crabhead," Jack snorted as Kiryu let go of him to help out.

"Some of them do."

"Really now, what's got your panties all up in a bunch?"

Yusei rolled his eyes at him as he stuck the nozzle of the gas can into the car's tank. Jack leaned on the hood and moaned, "Hnnng, careful Yusei~ It's my first time~" in a girly voice. Kiryu coughed uncomfortably as Yusei threw the gas can cap at Jack.

"Hey, don't bite the hand that feeds you," Jack said wisely, and Yusei narrowed his eyes.

"Are you going to be this much of a dick the entire trip?"

"I won't be a dick if I get some dick."

Yusei slammed the fuel tank door shut and leered at Jack.

"Sorry, we're fresh out," he replied sarcastically.

"Oh really? I don't think you are…" Jack's eyes definitely wandered over to Kiryu. Yusei could practically feel the steam blow out his ears.

"Goodbye, Jack. Come on, Kiryu, we're leaving!" Yusei stormed to the driver side.

"Oh, lighten up, crabhead," Jack snorted, and he opened the back door.

"What are you doing?!" Yusei snapped.

"I'm coming with you."

"What about your dad's fucking SUV?!"

"Oh. Right."

Yusei wanted to scream as Jack chuckled and got back out of the car.

"There's a hotel about 5 blocks down. That's where I'll be staying. There are two beds so I think we can make it work. See you soon, huh?"

He waved them off as he got back into his car.

"I might actually kill that man," Yusei sighed, starting the engine.

"Make sure to take his wallet afterward." Kiryu grinned, but Yusei felt uneasy because sometimes Kiryu really did mean what he said.

* * *

After acquiring the appropriate amount of gas, Yusei headed for the hotel. If it wasn't for the fact that Jack had already paid for the room, he would have insisted he and Kiryu find a different place to crash.

And as they pulled up it was just as Yusei feared:

"He fucking booked a five star hotel."

Yusei's head hit his steering wheel as he let out a frustrated groan.

"Cool!"

"No, not cool!" Yusei snapped, whipping his head back up. "Now the rest of the trip is going to seem severely downgraded based on the ideal of our first night!"

"I have no idea what you just said," Kiryu replied cheerfully, "but if you don't hurry up the pool will be closed!"

"It's almost midnight, Kiryu. I'm sure the pool is already closed."

But Kiryu was already half way out the door. Yusei swore that he'd kill Jack- or at least give him a nice smack- for this.

By the time Yusei caught up with Kiryu in the lobby he was already asking for a Mr. Atlas.

"I'm sorry, but no one under that name is booked here," the attendant apologized.

"Godwin. The last name is Godwin," Yusei sighed. He needed to remember to tell Jack to stop confusing Kiryu by using his middle name as his last.

"Room 221," the attendant bowed, and Yusei grabbed Kiryu's suitcase along with his own.

"C'mon, Kiryu. Let's go kill Jack."

Kiryu bounded happily up the stairs. Yusei opted for the elevator since he was trailing two suitcases. But when he got to the second floor Kiryu was frozen in the hallway, wide-eyed and terrified.

Great, just what they needed. Another Kiryu episode.

"Kiryu… you okay?" Yusei asked cautiously.

"I can't go in there," he cried hysterically. "I can't… I can't go in there!"

"Alright, calm down," Yusei said, setting the suitcases aside. He went to knock on the door but Kiryu grabbed him violently and pulled him back.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" he screamed at Yusei. That was bound to wake up the entire floor.

"What's wrong?" Yusei asked, hoping to quell this new delusion before it could get out of hand.

"You can't go in there!" Kiryu whined.

"Why not?"

"Just don't!"

It seemed Kiryu couldn't say why, which definitely meant it was a delusion.

Suddenly, the doorknob turned and the door opened, causing Kiryu to scream and jump back in fright.

"It's only me," Jack huffed, opening the door wider. "Come on in."

"NO!" Kiryu burst into tears. Down the hall, a head poked out here and there from other rooms, looking to see who was causing all the noise.

"Kiryu, you're just having a delusion. It's not real. Now get in here." Jack treated him like a misbehaving child. This statement only proved to upset Kiryu even more. Yusei put his arms around him and glared at Jack.

"You are a shitty cousin," Yusei snarled.

"We're not really cousins," Jack said, shrugging them off and going back into his room. The desire to nail Jack in the face was starting to overpower him.

"You know what, Jack, we're leaving, and you're not coming on this trip with us. I don't even know why we invited you! C'mon, Kiryu, we'll find a different place to stay!" Yusei was being very gentle with Kiryu, but he was very angry at Jack.

"Oh, come now, don't be like that!" Jack huffed, turning back around to lean in the doorway. "You're such a baby."

"That's completely insensitive to Kiryu!" Yusei snapped.

"You're babying him too much!" Jack snapped back. He strode over and wrestled Kiryu from Yusei's hold. Kiryu squealed and tried to run away but Jack was stronger and pulled him towards the door.

"NO!" Kiryu screamed, as if he was being tortured. He was crying hysterically and hallway doors kept opening to see what was going on.

"JACK, STOP!" Yusei shouted, and he grabbed Kiryu protectively.

"He'll never get over it if he doesn't tackle the problem head on," Jack reasoned with Yusei.

"HE'S SCHIZOPHRENIC, NOT A BRATTY FOUR YEAR OLD!" Yusei yelled in exasperation.

"Yusei, I'm older and he's family, let _me_ handle this!" Jack snarled viciously, and he pulled Kiryu screaming and clawing into the room.

"What is going on here?" The attendant and security officers were storming up the stairs. "Is someone being attacked?"

"No," Yusei sighed, rubbing his forehead. "My friend has schizophrenia and he's having an episode. And his cousin is doing the exact opposite of what you're supposed to do and is making the situation worse."

"Well, we still need to check out the situation," an officer said. Yusei followed them into the room, hoping that maybe they'd arrest Jack or something. It was then that he noticed Kiryu had stopped screaming.

"See? I told you I could take care of it!" Jack huffed rudely, sneering at Yusei. Kiryu was curled in a ball, shaking and looking horrified.

"You fucking traumatized him, you fucking-!" He couldn't think of a word horrible enough to call Jack so let out a string of curses in his native tongue. Then he gently and carefully put his arms around Kiryu. He felt almost lifeless. Yusei could not believe Jack sometimes. He was so insensitive and knew next to nothing about mental illnesses and how to treat them. While Jack talked to the officers, Yusei went into the bathroom and wet a washcloth with warm water. He gently cleaned Kiryu's face and stroked his hair.

"I won't let Jack do that to you again," he promised softly. To his surprise, Kiryu answered.

"I'm okay. I just want to go to sleep."

Yusei nodded and kissed the top of his head. He helped lay Kiryu down and tucked him in.

"Stay with me, please." It was such a soft whimper that Yusei barely heard it. But he did, and his heart melted, and he got under the covers and pulled Kiryu protectively into his arms.

"You're my best friend, Yusei," Kiryu whispered. "Please don't leave me."

"I won't. I promise." Yusei murmured back. He fought the madness inside him that wanted to just spill the three secret words right then and there, but this was definitely not the right time or place.

* * *

Yusei woke up when Jack reentered the room. He rolled in Yusei and Kiryu's suitcases. Yusei was still furious at him for how he treated Kiryu. He pretended to be asleep, but his ears perked up at the sound of Jack coming closer.

"Hey," Jack said in a low voice, and Yusei felt him shake Kiryu a little. Kiryu moaned and squirmed a bit in Yusei's arms. Yusei couldn't help but smirk. It felt nice.

"What…?" Kiryu muttered.

"I'm sorry about earlier."

Yusei wanted to snort but that would give away his feigned sleep.

"I should have been more sensitive to your illness. You're my cousin and I love you and I'm sorry I get really impatient sometimes."

The smirk left Yusei's face. His heart rate increased and his stomach churned. 'I love you' rang in his ears.

"It's okay. I love you, too," Kiryu whispered back.

Yusei let go of Kiryu and swiftly got up, grabbed a pillow, and slammed the bathroom door behind him. He was already regretting this trip. He wanted to go home and he wanted to punch Jack in the face. He _really_ wanted to punch Jack in the face.

He would go home tomorrow, that was it. He wasn't going to put up with this shit for an entire month. If Jack wanted Kiryu, fine, he could have him. He hoped Kiryu went into psychosis and attacked him. It would serve him right.

Yusei immediately felt bad the second this idea sparked in his mind. He knew he was only thinking that because he was so upset. He grumbled into his pillow. He had just wanted to have some quality time with Kiryu, but of course Jacky-poo had to invite himself on their trip. He thought maybe the trip would be exactly the thing he needed to finally tell Kiryu how he felt.

_He'll never feel the same,_ he snorted to himself. He was Kiryu's best friend. And that was all.

The bathroom was very nice, considering this was a five star hotel. There was a lounge so Yusei took some towels to use as blankets and curled up on it.

Tomorrow he would go home.

* * *

Yusei was rudely awoken by Kiryu banging on the bathroom door.

"Yusei, wake up! Time to go!"

Yusei groaned and rolled over, which caused him to fall off the lounge chair. Rubbing his head, he sat up and yawned, stretching. Without bothering to put the towels or pillow back, he opened the door.

"Good morning Yusei~ Time to go!" Kiryu said cheerfully.

"Yeah, it is," Yusei agreed. "I'm going home."

"What?"

Kiryu's eyes were suddenly twice his normal size and glossy. Damn that boy for making such a cute, sad puppy dog look.

"I'm going home," Yusei repeated, pushing past Kiryu to get his suitcase.

"Breakfast~!" Jack cheered, shoving some kind of hot egg sandwich in Yusei's face.

Something in Yusei snapped. He grabbed the sandwich and repeatedly hit Jack anywhere he could reach, his fist doing most of the contact.

"Hey!" Jack snarled, but Yusei was in a frenzy.

"YOU THINK **-WHACK-** YOU CAN JUST **-WHACK-** BUY ME A **-WHACK-** SANDWICH AND **-WHACK-** ALL WILL BE **-WHACK-** FORGIVEN?!" He chucked the sandwich across the room, knocking over a lamp, which shattered. He didn't even care.

"I'm going home. Good. Bye." Yusei grabbed his suitcase and shoved his shoes on, eager to put as much distance between himself and Jack as possible. He didn't even look at Kiryu as he stormed out.

"Jeez, that guy has no sense of humor," Jack muttered, rubbing his head.

"Jack!" Kiryu snapped, an uncommon note of authority in his voice that made Jack pay attention. "You go run down that hall right now and get Yusei back. I don't care if you have to apologize for being born, just make him come back! This was supposed to be a fun trip and we're one day in and you're ruining it! How am I supposed to win his heart if he's not here?!"

Jack actually looked ashamed. That had been the whole point of this trip. Kiryu wanted to tell Yusei how he felt, and Jack was here for support. And what had he done? Had a laugh at the expense of Yusei AND Kiryu.

"Fine," he sighed, and he swept himself out of the room.

Jack finally caught up to Yusei as he slammed the trunk of his car shut.

"Yusei, wait…!"

"I'm not interested," Yusei snapped. "I'm going home."

"You can't go home!" Jack huffed. This only seemed to infuriate Yusei even more.

"Oh yeah? Watch me!" He wrenched open the driver side door and slammed it behind him.

"Yusei, don't make Kiryu pay for what I did." Jack was actually begging, which piqued Yusei's interest. "He was really looking forward to this and I've been a dick since me and you know who broke up. I think I just need to get laid. Seriously, please don't go…!"

Yusei started the engine. Jack jumped onto the hood of Yusei's car. Yusei honked his horn loudly but it didn't even seem to phase Jack. Scowling, he rolled down his window and shouted, "So what do you want me to do about it?! If you're going to be a giant asshole until you get laid, then go prowl for fresh meat somewhere else!"

"It's alright, I'm good now!"

Yusei raised an eyebrow.

"Please, Kiryu was really looking forward to this and I didn't mean fuck things up…" Jack looked sincerely sorry. With a sigh, Yusei turned his car off, took the keys out, and got back out.

"Thank you, Yusei!" Jack hugged him.

"Yeah, yeah. Just stop being such an asshole," Yusei sighed heavily, shoving the blond off him.

* * *

Kiryu was delighted that Yusei had returned. He clung to him like a monkey, and Yusei didn't mind. But as they were leaving, Yusei looked back at the room, and he noticed that the bed that should have been Jack's seemed untouched. This bothered Yusei but he put that in the back of his mind for now.

"Dad got his car last night, so I have to stick with you guys," Jack said as they walked to the car, as though this settled all the matters, past, present, and future. Yusei grumbled under his breath.

"I'll take first driving shift," Jack volunteered, and he dangled Yusei's keys in front of his face. Yusei hadn't even felt himself getting pickpocketed.

"Fine, but Kiryu sits in the back with me!" Yusei demanded.

"But you know I get car sick," Kiryu frowned. Yusei gave him a murderous look before storming into the back seat of Kiryu's car. He brooded in silence the entire day. And what annoyed him even more was that Jack and Kiryu seemed to be having a good time. They were talking and laughing and telling inside jokes. Yusei was regretting his decision to stay.

It was a long drive and the sun was high in the sky as they pulled into a motel that was only a block away from the beach. They were going to stay here for a few days to enjoy the ocean. Yusei must have fallen asleep because when he woke up Jack and Kiryu were whispering to each other, stopped in the parking lot. Yusei pretended to still be sleeping so he could eavesdrop.

"…you'd have to tell him eventually…"

"…no! He doesn't need to know."

"Kiryu, you're not going to feel good about yourself until you-"

"Why are we even talking about this? Nothing even happened between us yet!"

Yusei's stomach curled. His worst fear seemingly confirmed, he pretended to wake up. The two cousins immediately stopped talking.

"'Morning sleepyhead," Kiryu smiled at him.

"Where are we?" Yusei yawned, pretending nothing was wrong.

"We're at our motel. We should probably bring our stuff up if we want to go swimming," Jack said, taking the keys out of the ignition.

Kiryu and Jack were still being secretive as they dragged their luggage up the motel stairs. Yusei was fuming behind them. He wanted to talk to Kiryu privately and demand to know what was going on between him and Jack.

When they finally got to their room, Kiryu opened the door and Jack hurried inside. And because it was Yusei's lucky day, there was only one bed, and Jack didn't even ask who got it. He just flopped down on it and kicked off his shoes. As soon as Yusei let go of his bag inside the room, Kiryu handed him a twenty.

"Yusei, go down to the convenience store, please. Buy whatever you want, but I need to talk to Jack in private."

Yusei's mouth was agape. He snatched the bill from Kiryu's hand.

"Are you going to have sex with him?!" he demanded, his voice cracking from becoming upset. Kiryu looked vaguely shocked at the question and his cheeks turned rosy.

"Yusei, that's none of your business!" Kiryu snapped. "Now _go_!" He pushed Yusei out the door.

"See? He can practically smell it anyway. You might as well just tell him," Yusei heard Jack say. Tears brimmed in Yusei's eyes. He stormed down the steps and ran. He didn't know where he was running to, just that he needed to get away.

* * *

"He better not have heard that," Kiryu hissed to the blond who was lazing on the bed. "I'm pretty sure Yusei thinks there's something going on between us!"

"So? Let him think that. If he likes you then he'll get jealous. Then you'll know if you're wasting your time doing this or not."

Kiryu folded his arms.

"That's not how I wanna find out," he huffed.

"Well, eventually you're going to have to tell him about the time we, you know-" Jack made a swirling motion with his hand and Kiryu looked away with scarlet cheeks.

"That happened before he moved here. I thought we agreed to never speak of it!"

"You have to tell him. It's not right to keep a secret like that."

"You never tell _your_ boyfriends!" Kiryu snapped viciously.

"That's because it wasn't my first time."

That shut Kiryu up. He rubbed his forehead.

"That shouldn't even count. I was delusional."

"No, you weren't! You were in love with me!"

Kiryu smacked him with a pillow and hissed, "_Thank you could you have said it any louder I don't think our fathers at home heard you clear enough!"_

"Alright, sorry! I didn't mean to yell it. But you weren't delusional. You were in love with me for weeks."

"That _was_ the delusion!"

Jack wore a pout.

"So are you telling me that meant nothing to you?"

"I- What did it mean to _you?!_" Kiryu demanded quickly.

"I had a special bonding experience with my adopted cousin. I made you a man."

"This is so fucked up," Kiryu groaned, flopping down on the bed. "Maybe you shouldn't have come with us."

"I'm the protector, okay? I protect you and Yusei from others, and from yourselves. Besides, I want to see you two together."

"Well, you're doing a shitastic job," Kiryu snorted sarcastically.

* * *

Hundreds of miles away, a girl with red hair and brown eyes answered her phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Aki."

"Oh, Yusei!"

She smiled. It'd been a long time since she heard that voice. He didn't sound too good, though.

"Is everything okay?"

"Not really. I just finished throwing up an entire day's worth of meals."

She frowned into her phone.

"Did something happen with Kiryu?"

She knew Yusei got sick to his stomach when he was upset, and usually it was over Kiryu. She and Yusei had been best friends before he moved away, and he told her pretty much everything. She was the first one Yusei went to when he discovered he wanted more than just friendship from his new best friend.

"I think he and Jack are fucking."

Aki choked on her tea.

"W-What?! I thought they were related!"

"Not by blood…"

Yusei told her everything that had happened and she listened sympathetically.

"I think I want to go home," he ended his story with, sniffling. Aki pursed her lips.

"If they wanted to be alone together, then why would they take you along? Something is up about the reason for this trip, I think," she finally replied. Before Yusei could respond, someone in the background on Aki's end sang her name.

"Shit, Divine's home. I gotta go, Yusei!" With a click, she hung up.

Yusei sighed. Why was Aki still with that guy? He was creepy and controlling and downright abusive. But Aki claimed they were in love so… nothing Yusei said had worked to change her mind yet.

Yusei hung up the phone and laid back on the bench. He wasn't sure where to go from here.

He thought he only shut his eyes for a few seconds but suddenly he was being shaken awake.

"Hey, Yusei. Can we talk?"

Kiryu was standing over him. Somehow he had found him.

"Where's Jack?" Yusei mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Beach. Already prowling for tail."

Yusei glowered at him.

"What, you weren't enough for him?"

"There's nothing between Jack and me," Kiryu said factually. "He's my cousin. He's like a brother to me."

Yusei sat up.

"Even so, you two are being too close. I thought this trip was for us," Yusei complained sulkily.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel left out."

Yusei pursed his lips distrustfully.

"Fine. I guess I forgive you," he muttered. Kiryu gave him a one arm hug.

"C'mon, let's go swimming!" Kiryu clapped his hands together and rubbed them deviously.

"Alright, alright." Yusei smiled as he got up.

"Hey, Kiryu, did you take your meds today?"

"Hm? Yeah, of course!" Kiryu assured him.

"Okay, just making sure," Yusei nodded.

"Liar~" Crow sang in Kiryu's ear. "You are a liar. You lied to Yusei. He's going to be mad. You're a filthy, dirty, disgusting whore."

Kiryu walked faster, but Crow turned into his bird form and flapped around his head.

"He's going to see right through you, that you slept with Jack. Doesn't matter how long ago it was. You're tainted. You're dirty. You're poisonous."

Crow continued to berate him even when they were back in the motel.

"I'm just gonna put my suit on," Kiryu assured Yusei as he slipped into the bathroom. He opened his bag and took out his medications. Crow hissed.

"Now I'm not a liar," Kiryu whispered as he swallowed his pills. By the time they were actually ready to get in the water, Crow would be gone.


	3. 3: Endlessly, He Said

**3: Endlessly, He Said**

Kiryu shook the sand from his hair.

"Kiryu! You got sand on the floor!" Yusei pouted.

"So? It's the floor."

"I don't want to be stepping on any after I'm nice and clean."

"Lighten up, crabhead," Jack replied, also shaking the sand from his head. It had been hiding in his blond hair. Yusei's OCD was going nuts. He left the room, and Jack figured he was just having some kind of tantrum. But then a minute later Yusei reappeared with a small vacuum in his hand.

"Where the hell did you get that?" Jack snorted.

"It's my emergency vacuum," Yusei said as he plugged it in.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Jack snorted again. "You're the one who wanted to book us at the cheapest motels and here you are fucking vacuuming the floor!"

"Low budget, not unsanitary," Yusei replied.

"Hey Kiryu, whatcha looking at?" Jack suddenly asked. Yusei looked up to see Kiryu gazing intently outside.

"They're watching us," Kiryu said blatantly. Yusei got up and looked out the window where Kiryu was staring. He didn't see anything unusual.

"Well, don't look at them and they'll probably go away," Yusei reasoned with him. Jack resisted the temptation to be an asshole and didn't say anything. But when Yusei went back to vacuuming and Kiryu kept looking outside, Jack drew the curtains closed.

"There. Now they can't see," he said, deciding to go along with his cousin's delusion. Yusei had been right, after all. He had to be more sensitive.

"Okay," Kiryu huffed, and he got back on his bed. A minute later, though, he sprang up and peeked behind the curtain.

"Kiryu," Jack said warningly, and Kiryu snapped the curtains shut.

"Just checking," Kiryu assured him, getting back on his bed. But Jack noticed him glancing at the window frequently.

"There's no one out there!" Jack snapped, and Kiryu jumped in fright.

"Jack!" Yusei snarled, and Jack sighed.

"Sorry, it's just really annoying!"

"It's not my fault!" Kiryu pouted. "They're out there watching us! I know it! I just KNOW it!" He jumped up again and whipped open the curtains, glaring outside.

"I need some fresh air," Jack groaned, and he put on his shoes and whisked himself out.

"Kiryu, stay here," Yusei ordered as he followed Jack. He'd have to be quick because it was bad to leave Kiryu alone for too long.

"Jack, what the hell."

Jack grunted at him.

"I just can't take dealing with him for such an extended time," he complained. "He's wearing me out."

"He's your cousin and he has a mental illness. He's not a tamagotchi that you can just pause when you don't feel like playing with it. You came on this trip with us so you're going to have to learn to deal with it."

"Tama… who even still plays with those?" Jack snorted.

"That's not the point. The point is-"

_*CRASH* _

Yusei instinctively ran back in.

"It's okay!" Kiryu assured him, fixing a lamp. "I knocked over a lamp when I was running but it's fine."

"Kiryu, you're bleeding," Yusei pointed out.

"Where?"

"Here."

Jack had come back in, and he wiped the blood from Kiryu's chin.

"Ow!"

"Sorry. I'll get you a bandaid."

Yusei smiled. Perhaps Jack was finally getting it. Yusei sat down, and for the first time all week (or in a long, long time), he relaxed. Actually relaxed. Let out a deep sigh and calmed himself.

Until there was a scream and the sound of things being thrown was heard. Yusei jumped up and rushed into the bathroom, where Jack was supposed to be cleaning Kiryu up. Kiryu was throwing anything he could reach at Jack, who was shielding his face.

"Yusei, help!" Jack pleaded. "I don't know what I did!"

"Kiryu! KIRYU! Calm down!" Yusei urged, trying to get between them and push Kiryu back.

"He's with them, Yusei! He's fucking with them! TRAITOR!" Kiryu screamed.

"I'm not with them!" Jack assured him, "I'm with you!"

"Why do you think Jack is with them?" Yusei asked.

"Look at the bandaid he tried to give me!" Kiryu spat angrily. Yusei looked and Jack held it out to him, looking scared and confused. It was an H-shaped bandaid. Kiryu had never freaked out over them before.

"What's wrong with the bandaid?" Yusei asked him calmly.

"It's an H!" he snarled. "It's how they track me! No wonder they're snooping around!"

"I swear I didn't know!" Jack pleaded to him. Yusei was glad that he was catching on quickly how to deal with Kiryu's episodes.

"If you're really not with them then flush them, all of them! Right now!" Kiryu demanded.

"What? That's such a waste," Jack complained.

"Do it, Jack," Yusei agreed, and Jack sighed. Then he picked out all the H-shaped bandaids from the mix pack and flushed them down the toilet while Kiryu watched and Yusei attended to his wounds. Kiryu seemed much happier afterwards and announced that "they" had left, following the signals of the flushed bandaids now zipping through the pipes deep underground.

When Kiryu was in the other room, Jack turned to Yusei.

"Alright. If I'm gonna do this properly, I want to know as much as you can tell me."

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me his triggers, his ticks, what sets him off, so I can avoid them."

"To tell you the truth, that bandaid one is a new one," Yusei admitted.

"Okay. So then, who does Kiryu think is after him?"

"He's never really said, but from what I can gather I'm pretty sure they're some alien species that take over humans like a parasite."

"Ew."

"Hey, guys~" Kiryu whined from the other room. "I'm hungryyyy. Let's get dinner."

"Alright," Yusei agreed. "Don't forget your medication!"

"Yeah, yeah."

* * *

Yusei could swear he had seen Kiryu taking his medication daily, but he was still acting distracted all the time. He was starting to fear that Kiryu might need an increase, or a new medication. As they were hundreds of miles away from Kiryu's psychiatrist, that was pretty impossible at the moment. Yusei was going to make sure he kept Kiryu's stress level down as much as possible, which would be easier now that Jack was cooperating.

After dinner Kiryu expressed a desire to walk on the boardwalk so they took a stroll. Yusei could have been imagining it, but Jack seemed to purposely fall behind them, as if giving them privacy.

"I'm still not really sure what career I want to pursue," Kiryu sighed, stretching and looking to Yusei for a suggestion.

"Well, what is it you like to do?" Yusei asked him. Kiryu took a moment to answer.

"I suppose… I like to cook." Even in the poor lighting Yusei could tell Kiryu's face was red. "You don't think that's too girly, do you?"

"No," Yusei assured him at the same exact time Jack said, "Yeah." Yusei turned to glare at him.

"You're one to talk, Mr. Takes-me-an-hour-to-do-my-hair-before-I-go-anywhere!" Yusei snapped.

"Hey, did I say it was a bad thing?" Jack replied stiffly.

"I'm not a girl." Kiryu was actually pouting.

"No one thinks you're a girl," Yusei assured him.

"You're pretty enough to be one," Jack teased. Yusei smacked him. However, the damage was done.

"Oh my god, it's my hair, isn't it?!" Kiryu balled his fists into his hair and began yanking.

"Kiryu, stop!" Yusei ordered, grabbing Kiryu's wrists, "Let go of your hair!"

"No!" Kiryu screamed, and people turned their heads to look at them.

"Jack, remember when you asked about Kiryu's ticks?" Yusei snarled at him."Well, that's one of them!"

"I'm sorry!" Jack apologized quickly. "Kiryu, please, I was joking. I'm the girly one. You look fine!"

It took five minutes of awkward wrestling to get Kiryu's hands away from his head. He had pulled out a considerable amount of hair, but not enough for it to be noticeable. To keep Kiryu from pulling out the rest of his hair, they walked hand in hand, Yusei with Kiryu's right hand and Jack with Kiryu's left. Kiryu was in a pretty sour mood after that so they decided to just go back to the hotel.

"You know, this is why I asked you to tell me what bothers him!" Jack snapped in the elevator.

"It would take forever to tell you every single little thing that sets Kiryu off," Yusei snorted.

"I'm standing right here, you know," Kiryu said coolly. Jack and Yusei went quiet.

"You know what? I just want to go to bed." Kiryu ripped his hands from the two boys and crossed his arms.

"Kiryu…"

"I don't want to hear it."

Yusei's stomach felt low. Now they had really upset him. The best thing to do really was to get him to go to sleep.

Yusei didn't know what time it was but he knew it was very late when he woke up. At first he thought he simply happened to wake up but then he heard a door close. Jack snored on.

Yusei got out of bed and slipped on his sandals, quietly following behind his frosty-haired friend who had just snuck out. This was one of the ramifications of living with Kiryu; you had to be sensitive to every movement, because he could just up and leave as suddenly and quietly as a ghost.

Luckily Kiryu didn't go far. He walked to the stairs and then stared up at sky. Yusei wasn't sure if he should intervene yet or not. Sometimes when Kiryu was fixated on something he could become violent if anything interrupted him. But then he sat down and began rubbing his stomach. He seemed to be muttering something incomprehensible to it. Yusei decided it was safe to reveal himself.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked, walking over to Kiryu. Kiryu gasped and clutched his stomach, his face turning pink.

"Y-Yusei! H-How much did you see?" he asked in a very anxious tone.

"I saw you walk over here and sit down," Yusei replied, sitting next to him. Kiryu shied away, still holding his stomach.

"You're not supposed to know about this," Kiryu whispered. Yusei didn't know what he meant by that.

"I don't know anything," he shrugged, but Kiryu still looked upset. He stood up, still holding his stomach.

"Please don't follow me!" he declared, and he ran down the stairs and shot towards the beach, still holding his stomach as though afraid it might fall out.

Goddamn it, Kiryu, Yusei sighed mentally as he chased after him. His feet sunk in the sand as the terrain changed. Kiryu dived under a dock and disappeared. When Yusei caught up, he found Kiryu hunched over desperately digging a ditch with his bare hands. He looked very scared.

"Yusei, please!" Kiryu begged as he dug. "I don't want you to see this!"

"What are you going to do?" Yusei asked, trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice. Was he trying to bury himself alive or something? But then suddenly Kiryu doubled over and moaned in pain, letting out a few small sobs.

"I can't… I can't…!" he sobbed, and he writhed on the ground clutching his stomach.

"Kiryu, what's wrong?!" Yusei asked more urgently, but Kiryu shook his head.

"Y-You need to dig me a hole…!" he sobbed. "Please… I can't do it… It's coming…!"

Yusei was very confused but he knew he had to play along with Kiryu's delusions if he wanted the both of them to come out of this in one piece.

"Alright, I'll dig you a hole," Yusei promised, and he got on his knees and started pawing the ground, like a dog burying a bone. Kiryu moaned and sobbed and rocked back and forth, holding his stomach. Every so often he would cry out or moan something like "Hurry…!" or "It's coming…!"

"How big do you want this hole?" Yusei asked. He was starting to get tired.

"I need to squat in it," Kiryu sniffed. Yusei was suspicious now.

"What, are you going to like, go to the bathroom in it?" Yusei asked, wrinkling his nose. "You know we have a working toilet back at the-"

"NO!" Kiryu screamed, shutting Yusei up. He seemed to really be in agony now. "Yusei, I… I didn't want you to know…!" He was really crying now, his face bright red, mortified by this entire predicament.

"What is it, Kiryu?" Yusei asked once again. "You can trust me, okay? I want to help you."

Kiryu took some breaths to calm down.

"You… You won't look at me differently?" he squeaked, and Yusei could tell he was really scared of what Yusei would think.

"I won't look at you differently," Yusei promised.

Kiryu took a few steadying breaths and then said in a soft voice, "I'm… laying eggs."

It was so bizarre, even for Kiryu, that Yusei just looked at him.

"I thought we were mammals," was all he could get himself to say. Kiryu moaned and sobbed, clutching his stomach.

"Crow fertilized his eggs in me when I was sleeping and now they're coming out. It hurts so much, Yusei. I don't want you to see…" He sobbed even more. This was one of the most bizarre things Kiryu had ever hallucinated. Rather than fight with him and try to make him see reason with logic, which Yusei knew would never work anyway, he continued digging the hole. It took a while and Yusei was sweating like crazy but he finally got it to a size that would be comfortable for Kiryu to squat in.

"Is this okay?" Yusei asked, and Kiryu crawled into it.

"Yes, perfect," Kiryu breathed a sigh of relief. "Please don't look."

"Okay, hold on a moment," Yusei demanded quickly. "All lower articles of clothes need to be removed. I don't want you getting your clothes… messy." Yusei had a feeling that Kiryu would be doing something else instead of laying an egg. "Don't worry, I won't look." He turned away, his cheeks glowing slightly.

"Okay," Kiryu agreed, and Yusei heard him removing his pants. Yusei wondered how long this would take. It would be a pain in the ass (no pun intended) to have to explain to police officers why his friend was squatting half naked in a hole under the dock on the beach at five in the morning.

Kiryu began panting, and Yusei really didn't want to be hearing this. But before he could make up his mind about giving Kiryu more privacy or not, Kiryu reached out a hand.

"W-Will you h-hold my h-hand?" he sobbed, and Yusei's heart completely melted.

"Of course," Yusei replied softly, and without looking he took Kiryu's trembling hand. He would stick by Kiryu through anything. He had made that promise that day all those years ago in the hospital when Kiryu was snarling in a straitjacket and a doctor was telling him the diagnosis. No matter how scary things got, or weird, or embarrassing, or life-threatening, he'd stay with Kiryu, holding his hand until the end.

* * *

The sun was beginning to rise when Yusei came to. He must have dozed off, which was never a good thing to do when Kiryu was in the middle of an episode. He looked around and found Kiryu sitting against a dock pole (pants on, thank goodness), and cradling something invisible in his arms. He was talking to himself, but he seemed happy- joyful, even. Yusei noticed the hole had been filled in.

"Hey…" Yusei yawned as he slunked over. Kiryu shushed him.

"They're sleeping," he whispered, giggling and looking down fondly at his invisible egg children.

"Sorry," Yusei whispered, and he situated himself next to him. He rested his head on Kiryu's shoulder.

"Aren't they cute?" Kiryu cooed, and Yusei almost laughed but he caught himself.

"Adorable," Yusei mumbled back sleepily.

"Crow said he'd pick them up soon so I can go get some sleep. That's nice of him, don't you think?"

"Well, they ARE half his responsibility," Yusei told him. "After all, he fertilized you without your permission."

"Mmn."

* * *

When Yusei and Kiryu returned to the motel, Jack was up.

"Hey, where were you guys?" he demanded. "I was worried."

"I had birdlings," Kiryu yawned, climbing into bed. "I'm so tired."

"Birdlings? What?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Boy, do I have a story for you," Yusei snorted as he got himself bread to toast.

* * *

Kiryu decided to sit in the back of the car so he could sleep. He had the whole back seat to himself. Yusei sat up front with Jack, who drove.

After Jack was sure Kiryu was asleep, he said, "Hey, Yusei?"

"What?" Yusei yawned.

"Do you think…. Kiryu should go to college?"

Yusei almost choked on the coffee he had been drinking.

"W-What?" he gasped, coughing and clearing his throat.

"I don't think he's well enough to be on his own," Jack told him. "I don't think he'll be able to go to school. How will he get anything done?"

"So what's he supposed to do with his life?!" Yusei hissed, angry that Jack would even suggest such a thing.

"I don't know. But I don't think college is for him."

"I will not let him end up in an institution for the rest of his life!" Yusei snarled. He was infuriated to see Jack grin at him.

"You think I'm joking?!" He growled.

"No," Jack replied,"but I do think I hear wedding bells."

"What?"

"Yusei and Kiryu sitting in a tree, f-u-c-k-i-n-!"

Yusei shushed him loudly, looking back at the sleeping Kiryu as though he was a bomb about to explode.

"Ohoho~!" Jack grinned even wider. "You like him!"

Yusei smacked his arm very hard.

"If you don't shut up I swear I will cut all of your hair off in your sleep!" Yusei spat, which only made Jack chuckle deviously.

"I will murder you," Yusei hissed.

"So you do like him!" Jack's grin should have been illegal.

"I'm not saying anything else!" Yusei snapped, and he turned from Jack and refused to speak to him. He really wanted to ask if Kiryu liked him too, but that would probably give it away. Jack could potentially ruin everything.

"I'll just say this," Jack added slyly. "I know he's got his eye on someone, but he won't say who."

Yusei's stomach turned to ice. Worse than ice.

"Jack, pull over," he managed to say, and Jack looked at him quickly, eyebrows raised.

"Why?"

"NOW!"

That shout roused Kiryu from his sleep.

"Hey, why are we stopping?" he asked, noticing the car pull over. For an answer, Yusei threw open the door and projectile vomited onto the grass.

"Ugh. Gross," Kiryu complained as Yusei coughed and wiped his mouth.

"You can thank Jack for that one," Yusei snarled, slamming the door shut.

"What did I do?!" Jack demanded.

"Nevermind! Just get going again!" Yusei snapped impatiently.

"Well, are you going to get sick again?"

"If I do, I'll make sure to do it on you!"

"Hey, what's going on?" Kiryu asked, looking concerned.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep." Yusei snarled, folding his arms and leaning on the passenger side door, fixedly staring out the window. Kiryu looked at Jack but Jack just shrugged and got the car going again.

"Yusei's on his man-period or something."

"Shut up," Yusei growled.

Kiryu laid back down and shut his eyes, trying to fall back asleep. But a few minutes later he heard a sniff and looked up. He could see Yusei's shoulders trembling slightly as he gave another sniff. Kiryu sat up with alarm, but saw Jack looking at him via the rearview mirror. He shook his head solemnly. A pain entered Kiryu's heart that he couldn't explain. It just… hurt. It hurt that Yusei was hurting. And he had no idea why. Where had this come from? What had he missed while he was asleep? He wanted to comfort Yusei but Jack was telling him not to. Or at least, he saw Jack shaking his head. But he wasn't actually shaking his head. Kiryu did not know this, though, and laid back down, feeling gloomy.

The rest of the ride was quiet. Eventually Jack turned on the radio and Kiryu sat up, watching scenes rush past him through the window. Yusei remained bunched up in his little corner and Kiryu didn't know what to do. When they finally got to their hotel, Yusei was the first out of the car. He didn't even bother grabbing his bag. He just stormed into the motel lobby.

"I'll talk to him," Jack sighed, shutting his door.

"I'll… get his bag…" Kiryu replied gloomily. Jack hurried into the building after Yusei, who was approaching the front counter. Jack grabbed his shoulder and pulled him aside.

"Fucking talk to me!" Jack demanded.

"I have nothing to say to you!" Yusei hissed, his voice cracking severely.

"What the hell was that in the car, huh?"

"It's none of your business!" Yusei snapped.

"Why won't you admit that you like him?" Jack jabbed at him.

"I don't!" Yusei shouted through clenched teeth.

"Right. So that's why you threw up and then cried the whole rest of the car ride," Jack snorted mirthlessly.

"It would never work anyway. We're both too mentally unstable," Yusei said, his voice suddenly solemn. Jack opened his mouth, but before he could say anything Kiryu entered the building with his bag and Yusei's.

"I have your bag, Yusei," Kiryu said apprehensively.

"Thanks," Yusei grumbled, snatching the bag from him. "Let's go to our room." As Yusei left, Kiryu looked at Jack for an explanation.

"I think I might have just fucked up your potential relationship with Yusei?" Jack told him, ending with an air of question and apology.

"What?!" Kiryu snarled, practically breathing fire. "Jack Atlas, what did you do?!"

"Come on!" Yusei popped his head back in to yell at them.

"We'll talk about it later," Jack replied hurriedly, running to the desk to check in and grab the room key.

* * *

Yusei couldn't sleep. He had insisted he sleep in a corner on the floor and had spent the night brooding in his own misery.

Too mentally unstable…. what had he been thinking, telling Jack something like that? There was no one better qualified for Kiryu than he was!

But… what if he was the one who needed a sane arm to lean on? Yusei had his moments too. He had a terrible panic disorder and often worked himself up into a frenzy, like he was now. He needed someone to hold him and tell him everything was going to be okay and that they were safe. He wasn't sure Kiryu could be that person. Last night he had been convinced that he was laying eggs.

No…. two mentally challenged people a functional relationship did not make. Yusei needed someone calm and levelheaded and logical and sweet…

That's what he needed. But he wanted Kiryu.


	4. 4: Radioactive

**4: Radioactive**

"Okay, who is the genius that left a fucking light on in the car?!" Yusei snarled the next morning as the three boys discovered their car battery dead. Yusei glared at Jack but Kiryu put his hand up sheepishly.

"S-Sorry…" he apologized quickly. "I must have forgot… when I went to get your bag…"

Yusei exhaled his anger.

"It's alright," he said calmly, "we'll just… call someone. Or ask someone to jump us. We'll figure it out." He walked around to the front of the car and popped the hood up. Less than five minutes into his engine inspection, a white pickup truck pulled up.

"Hey, I don't mean to butt in," the man driving it said nervously, "but uh… d-do you need help with your car?"

"Yes, thank you!" Yusei clapped his hands together in delight, his smile radiant. Kiryu took one look at the beam on Yusei's face and then at the way the stranger was eyeing him and immediately hated this guy.

"I have just the thing!" this new mysterious car hero exclaimed, jumping out of his truck and dashing to the storage in the back. Yusei slunk up to him curiously but in no time at all he had pulled out a heap of thick cables.

"Jumpers," he nodded knowingly. "I'll attach these to my engine and jumpstart yours."

Kiryu glared at the two mechanic nerds as they happily pranced about doing their job to fix the automobile. There was something he really didn't like about this guy. There was a weird shadow creeping from him, trying to reach Yusei. The shadow swirled and hissed and then lashed out!

"YUSEI!"

Kiryu grabbed the hood of Yusei's jacket and yanked him back, away from the hissing shadow. The cables went flying and Yusei stumbled, trying his best not to fall flat on his ass.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Yusei snarled so surprisingly viciously that Kiryu suddenly lost his courage. He'd made a slip-up, hadn't he?

"But… the shadows…" Kiryu said quietly. The blue-haired man raised an eyebrow at him. The judgment he received in that look was so heavy _he_ almost stumbled backwards.

"Don't mind him. He's schizophrenic," Yusei dismissed him, and Kiryu felt as though he'd been stabbed in the heart. Yusei never, _ever_ treated him as though he had something wrong with him. It was always, 'Don't worry, Kiryu, it's okay, it happens,' not 'don't take him seriously, he's messed up in the head.'

Something inside Kiryu shut down. He went on auto-pilot. He knew this was the beginning of a delusional episode, but he was powerless to stop it. He'd just have to hold on for dear life and hope he didn't get kicked out of the ring.

This was it.

The apocalypse.

These weren't normal shadows. They were radioactive waves. They had blown out the engine of their car, and if he wasn't careful, Kiryu knew it would make his own systems blow. Where was the sun? The sky was murky and polluted. He couldn't step on the shadows. _Have to stay on the light…_

"Hey, Kiryu… you okay?" Jack asked hesitantly. After Yusei's little explanation Kiryu had just gone quiet, but his eyes were round and alert and darting in random directions, as if he was following some kind of drunk housefly. Jack wondered if he should slap him or shake him or something. He'd never seen Kiryu like this before. Actually, that wasn't true. He sort of acted like this the day that… "that" happened. The thing they had both promised to never talk about again.

So naturally, Jack was getting concerned.

"Yusei, I think there's something wrong with Kiryu," Jack called, but Yusei was too busy talking excitedly to the blue-haired guy.

"I can feel it in my bones…!" Kiryu gasped, and he started clawing his arm as if he could dig whatever it was out of him.

"Hey, stop that! You'll hurt yourself!" Jack insisted, and without really thinking he grabbed Kiryu's wrist.

Big mistake.

"I'M RADIOACTIVE!" Kiryu shouted with delight, and he threw Jack off him with such ease it was almost inhuman. Jack hit someone's car, and the alarm went off. That at least got Yusei's attention. He whipped his head around in time to see Kiryu climb up onto a car roof.

"KIRYU, GET DOWN FROM THERE!" Yusei shouted, running over and forgetting all about the jumper cables.

"WELCOME TO THE NEW AGE!" Kiryu shouted. He jumped.

If Yusei had not run over and been able to break Kiryu's fall, Kiryu could have cracked his skull open. As it was, Yusei felt like HIS head was cracked open. He couldn't move, and not just because Kiryu was heavy.

"Yusei's system was the first to blow," Kiryu said, standing up.

"Oh my god!" The car hero rushed over looking very scared. "His head is bleeding! Should we call an ambulance?!"

"Yeah, can you do that, Bluey?" Jack grunted as he grabbed Kiryu, who was trying to climb back up the car. "I think I have to bring this guy to a different hospital. Do you know where's there's a psych ward around here?"

"No, I'm not from around here," anxiety man said. "Should I try to stop the bleeding or…?"

"Don't touch him. He needs a paramedic- KIRYU, CALM DOWN!"

Kiryu had utterly lost it. He was struggling so hard in Jack's grip that he accidentally hit Jack in the face. He could feel hot blood flowing out but he couldn't let go of Kiryu.

"Sorry to ask this, but can I borrow your truck since our car is dead?" Jack asked, sounding as though he had contracted a very bad cold in the past ten seconds. "I'll pay any damages. I just. NEED. TO. GET. HIM. SOMEWHERE." Kiryu's struggles were becoming more violent.

"YOU CAN'T CONTROL ME!" he screamed. "I'M NOT LIKE YOU! I'M RADIOACTIVE! I AM A GOD!"

"S-Sure! Just take it. Please just… be careful?" He wasn't really sure what to say. But he couldn't focus on that now. He had to call an ambulance.

"Kiryu, we're going for a ride," Jack grunted as he shoved Kiryu into the passenger side of the truck. Kiryu glared at him from the other side of the window. There was something… wrong in his eyes. He'd never seen Kiryu with eyes like that before.

This wasn't Kiryu.

Jack sprinted to the driver's side, silently praying that Kiryu wouldn't just open the door and run off. But Kiryu stayed in his seat, continuing to glare at Jack.

"Where are you talking me?" Kiryu demanded. Jack didn't know what he should say. This was where Yusei really would have come in handy. Did he tell Kiryu he was taking him to the hospital or did he lie?

"Where do you want to go?" Jack found himself asking.

"I want to go home!" Kiryu snapped, folding his arms.

"Fine, then that's where we're going." Jack put the truck into gear.

"You're a stupid dumbfuck," Kiryu snarled, "How the hell are we going to get home in this giant metal contraption? We need a transport line."

"A what now?" Jack asked absentmindedly as he drove, searching for any signs that could point him to a mental hospital. He could only drive with one hand. The other was pinching his nose shut.

"A TRANSPORT LINE, YOU STUPID FUCK!" Kiryu snarled. "DO YOU EVEN _LIVE_ ON THIS PLANE? WE HAVE TO TAKE THE RIGHT TRANSPORT LINE!"

Jack wasn't sure what to say to that, so he merely replied with, "Well, I like doing things the old-fashioned way."

"Hmph." Kiryu folded his arms and pouted, but he seemed to accept that answer. And as if by some heavenly miracle, Jack saw a sign that read "Gibson Hospital for the Mentally Ill, next 5 mi."

* * *

When Yusei opened his eyes, everything was blurry and groggy. There was someone looking down on him. Someone really good-looking. It occurred to him that he must have died and this was the angel of death taking him away.

"I dun wanna go ye…" he muttered.

"Doctor, he's awake!" Bruno called to someone outside the room.

"No, dun go…" Yusei tried to tell the angel. "Yer so pretty…"

The angel looked flustered at the compliment but then Yusei blinked, and he must have passed out again because now he could tell it was nighttime and the angel was gone. Jack was in the room instead.

"Jack?" moaned Yusei, and Jack's head snapped over to look at him.

"Hey. How're you feeling?" Jack asked.

"My head _aches_," Yusei groaned, shakily lifting a hand to his throbbing head. He felt the soft cotton of a gauze strip.

"What happened? I can't remember anything…"

"Well, to make a long story short, Kiryu jumped on you and you hit your head on the asphalt," Jack told him.

"Is Kiryu okay?"

Jack looked grim.

"I had to take him to the hospital. Well, not this one. You know. A mental one."

Yusei sat bolt upright, which he quickly learned was a mistake and almost passed out again. Jack hurried forward to catch him so he didn't fall out of his hospital bed.

"Hey, take it easy," Jack advised him.

"No!" Yusei gasped, and he tried very feebly to get up. "Kiryu… have to… go… Kiryu…"

"Kiryu's not going anywhere," Jack assured him, pushing him back down onto the bed.

"They don't know… don't know him… different… different hospital…"

"I told them we were from a different area and they called his psychiatrist and got his records faxed over. It's going to be _fine_. Just relax. You need rest."

"No, Kiryu…!"

"Oh, you're awake!"

Yusei's head snapped to the doorway where a very handsome person was standing. It took him a few seconds to remember that this was the guy from the motel parking lot.

"I… uh…" Yusei spluttered. He was terribly embarrassed to be seen in such a state by someone so gorgeous. He blushed even harder when he saw the cute guy holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Oh, uh… these are for you," the man said, a sheepish grin and blush on his face. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"T-Thanks," Yusei swallowed nervously.

"You hit your head pretty hard," he commented as he put the flowers on the bedside table.

"Y-Yeah…" Yusei muttered. He suddenly could not think a single intelligent thought. His mind seemed to be one long string of "uhhhhhhhhhhhhh" and several question marks.

"Oh, I never introduced myself to you," the handsome guy realized out loud. "My name is Bruno, Bruno Borrelli."

"I'm Fusei Yudo. I mean… Yusei Fudo." Yusei blushed again at tripping over his words. He felt like he had the IQ of a bowling ball.

But Bruno just smiled at him and said, "You hit your head pretty hard, it's okay."

Yusei groaned and put a hand to his bandaged forehead. Jack watched the whole scene with a lump of dread slowly creeping into his stomach. After everything that happened yesterday, all that talk about him and Kiryu, Yusei probably wouldn't hold anything back. He was already practically drooling over this guy. And for good measure, because he _was_ really cute. Jack licked his lips discreetly.

"If you feel better, you can visit Kiryu in a few days," Jack said, snapping Yusei back to reality.

"Kiryu? Where is he?"

"A mental hospital, remember?"

Yusei rubbed his head. His memories were a bit fuzzy.

"What? Why?"

Jack huffed with annoyance.

"Because he had a bad episode, which is how you ended up here."

"…Oh."

Yusei laid back in his bed.

"The doctor said it might be a few days," Bruno told him. "But I promise I'll come visit you every day you're here."

Jack could see Yusei's heart melting through his eyes and it made him feel sick. He had fucked up, REALLY fucked up this time.

"Thanks. I'm sure I'll heal faster with you here."

Jack face palmed himself, which no one noticed. Yusei wasn't even hiding the fact that he was flirting, whether he meant to or not.

"Hey, Bruno, can I talk to Yusei privately for a minute?"

Yusei glared at him, but Bruno said, "Sure," and got up to leave.

Once Bruno was safely out of earshot, Jack rounded on Yusei.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"What are you talking about?" Yusei asked.

"I know you like my cousin so what's with all this flirting with that mechanic guy?!"

Yusei's cheeks turned red.

"Fuck off! It's none of your business who I go out with!"

"It IS my business! My cousin has problems and all this leading him on is not good for him. Today's episode was _your_ fault!"

"_My_ fault?!" Yusei snarled. "MY fault?! A few days ago you dragged Kiryu into a room he was afraid to go in and caused him a lot of mental trauma! But yet this is _my_ fault! Yeah, okay." Yusei was furious.

"If you hurt my cousin I will make you sorry," Jack threatened, his nostrils flaring.

"Kiryu and I will never be together!" Yusei hissed. "I accepted it already! Now grow up and leave me alone!"

Jack was so pissed that he just stormed from the room, not even looking back to see Bruno looking worried as he reentered Yusei's room.

* * *

Yusei spent five days recovering in the hospital. Jack only went back to see him once, and their meeting had been brief. It seemed Bruno was always there though, and it made Jack feel sick. Jack visited Kiryu several times a day, but he had gone into a catatonic state. For five days he just laid on his bed not moving, staring into nothingness. Jack was really worried and wondered if he should call Uncle Rudger and tell him what was happening. He decided he'd let Yusei make that call when Yusei finally went to check on Kiryu.

By now, Yusei and Bruno weren't even hiding their attraction to each other. He had flat out seen Bruno kiss Yusei's hand and tell him he looked cute, even with bandages around his head. Jack racked his brain trying to think how to fix this situation, but nothing came to mind. He'd just have to wait for Kiryu to get better so he could plead his own case against Bruno.

* * *

How much time had gone by? Eternity? The world kept changing and Kiryu knew the only thing keeping it going was his mental strength. He had to concentrate hard on keeping the world going or it would stop.

"He hasn't moved in days," Jack told Yusei as he helped Yusei to Kiryu's psych room. "He's in some kind of catatonic state."

"Kiryu?" Yusei called softly, sitting on his bed.

Kiryu's eyes flickered.

"He heard me," Yusei breathed. "Kiryu? Kiryu?"

Out of the rush of infinite time Kiryu heard Yusei calling his name. Yusei needed him. But if he moved, time would stop being infinite and become one-dimensional again. But Yusei's calls were getting louder and time was getting slower.

First his leg twitched, then his arm, then his head. Yusei wasn't sure if he should try touching him or not. But slowly it seemed Kiryu was coming back to life.

"Yu…sei…?" he murmured, and Yusei's heart leapt.

"Kiryu," Yusei breathed with relief. "How are you feeling?"

Kiryu didn't answer. It seemed he was still coming to.

"How long in earth time have I been gone?" he managed to ask.

"It's been five days," Jack replied.

"Only five days?!" Kiryu snorted mirthlessly. "Man, earth time sucks! I lived a thousand lives and here in this dimension it was only five lousy days!"

Yusei and Jack exchanged worried looks.

"How are you feeling?" Yusei asked again.

"Exhausted. Do you know how much energy I spent keeping time together for a thousand lifetimes?"

"What made you stop?" Jack asked.

"I… well, I heard Yusei calling for me…"

Jack gave Yusei a dirty look, who looked down in shame. He'd been acting like a real douche these past couple days. He had triggered Kiryu's episode and brought him back, and here he was going behind Kiryu's back and trying to get Bruno to like him.

Yusei bent down and stroked Kiryu's cheek.

"I'll always call for you, Kiryu."

Jack huffed loudly and left. Yusei knew he was in for an earful later.

"How long do I have to stay here?" Kiryu asked.

"Until the doctors feel you're better."

"But I'm good now. I was gone but you brought me back and I'm better now. Why can't I leave now?"

"Well, the doctors want to make sure you don't slip again."

"I'm leaving." Kiryu got up and slipped on shoes.

"Kiryu, you can't leave!"

"Oh, yeah? Watch me."

"If anyone should leave it should be Yusei," Jack said as he came back in.

"What? Why me?" Yusei pouted.

"Because it's family members only, now get out!" Jack pushed him out the room. "Your mechanic boyfriend is waiting for you outside," he snarled before slamming the door in Yusei's face.

"Jack, what was that all about?" Kiryu demanded.

"Listen," Jack sat Kiryu down. "Do you remember when I said I fucked up your relationship with Yusei?"

"Yeah," Kiryu said coolly.

"Well, in the five days you've been gone, Yusei and the blue-haired guy from the motel parking lot who was helping us with our car, Bruno, have been making googly eyes at each other and I'm pretty sure Bruno's spent more time in Yusei's hospital room than Yusei has. Look, you gotta-"

"WHAT?!" Kiryu leapt up, breathing fire. "I will END him!"

"Calm yourself," Jack ordered, pushing him back down. "Saying things like that will only prolong your stay here. You need to pretend to be sane so you can get out of here and get Yusei back."

"How the hell am I supposed to pretend I'm sane when I keep slipping between time streams?!" Kiryu huffed.

"By pretending you're _not_," Jack informed him. Kiryu grumbled and rubbed his head.

"Yeah, I'll get right on that."

"Seriously, Kiryu," Jack warned him, "If you don't act now, you might lose your chance to be with Yusei. I don't want to see that happen. Yeah, I like to fuck with him because he's young and he feels almost like a younger brother to me. But when it comes down to it I want you two to be together. You can't let yourself get beat by another blue-haired pretty boy. Kiryu?"

Jack stopped because Kiryu had a weird look on his face. But then Kiryu shook his head and touched his face.

"I'm… dead," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm dead. This is my afterlife body. Don't you see? Aren't my eyes black?"

"Kiryu, it's these things that are going to get you stuck in here longer. You have to ignore… supernatural things like that and pretend you are a normal human being in present earth time. Okay? If you want to be with Yusei that is the price."

Kiryu took some time to digest those harsh words. Finally, he nodded and said, "Alright. Alright, I'll do it. For Yusei."

"Good," Jack nodded. "If they deem you healthy you could be back as soon as tomorrow. I'll inform your doctor that you're awake and alert. Remember, no one can know that you're in a different time stream. You have to pretend you're in this one."

Kiryu nodded and Jack went to get a nurse.

* * *

Day 1: Kiryu managed to pretend he was in the present time stream. The doctors were impressed by his recovery.

Day 2: Kiryu was attacked by another patient but ignored it, thinking it was a hallucination. The lack of reaction to the situation made the nurses reevaluate Kiryu's health.

Day 3: Kiryu was caught having a conversation with himself, though he thought he was talking to another patient.

Day 4: Kiryu went the entire day without incident, and then asked if he could go home.

Day 5: Jack signed some papers and Kiryu was released. It felt good to be free again.

* * *

Yusei spent most of his time with Bruno, to Jack's disapproval. But he didn't care, because this felt right and Yusei felt so _good_. But the day Kiryu came back was an awkward one.

"Ready to hit the road?" Kiryu asked, gathering up his belongings from the motel.

"Well," Yusei said, scratching his neck. "Bruno wants to join us."

"What? Yusei, this is _our_ trip!" Kiryu whined like a two year old.

"Hey, you got to bring Jack, so I should get to bring somebody too!" Yusei argued. Kiryu really couldn't deny that.

"There's no room in our car!"

"Bruno's got a truck and he said he'd drive."

Kiryu looked scandalized.

"You're not gonna ride with _him_ are you?!"

"Well…"

Kiryu stormed from the room angrily. Yusei looked sheepish but he didn't go back on his word. So, with palpable tension, Jack and Kiryu got into one car and Bruno and Yusei got into the other.

"Bruno needs to go…!" Kiryu snarled as Jack started driving. "What the hell does Yusei think he's doing, bringing some slutbag on _our_ trip?!"

"I know, I know," Jack agreed. "Don't worry, I'll think of something."

"Fix it, Jack," Kiryu sniffed, letting tears run down his face. "Please."


End file.
